Ministry says children of migrant workers should be taught alongside urban peers

Chinese Vice Minister of Education Liu Limin said the children of migrant workers should attend mixed classes with their urban peers.

Liu made the remarks at a press conference on Saturday in response to a question about equal access to education for the country's millions of migrant workers and their children.

The government, Liu said, is working to ensure equal access to education and by of the end of last year, more than 80 percent of children from rural areas who live with their parents in the cities were enrolled in public schools.

About 1.25 million migrant workers' kids currently attend private schools, paid for by the government, he said.

In addition to mixed classes, the ministry also pledged no extra fees for migrant workers' children to ensure equal treatment.

The central government earmarked 9.96 billion yuan (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014 to encourage city schools, especially those in the country's eastern and central regions, to accept more rural students, according to Liu.

Investment in this regard since 2008 totaled 34 billion yuan, he said.

Also at Saturday's press conference, Wang Pei'an, deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, pledged equal access to health services for migrant workers.

Yang Zhiming, director of the State Council office in charge of rural migrant workers' affairs, said the government would continue to ensure improvement to migrant workers' quality of life. Efforts focus on job opportunities, vocational training, employment protection, social insurance, payment and legal rights.

In addition, access to decent accommodation, education, cultural services and personal development should also be promoted, Yang said. Endi